


Ebony Scales

by Arukona



Series: Loving Dragons [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Dragons, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, Love, Romance, Shapeshifting, Stargazing, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:41:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25021078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arukona/pseuds/Arukona
Summary: As he looks upon his fiancée sleeping serenely, Rajaion can't help but have an intriguing idea. It was something he hadn't done before, but he does it anyway, curious to see his beloved's reaction.
Relationships: Ena/Rajaion (Fire Emblem)
Series: Loving Dragons [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1883311
Kudos: 8





	Ebony Scales

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first piece of fanfiction, this being an idea I'd had for a while that I finally was able to put into words recently. I'm a particular fan of the laguz, and this was one pairing that I felt wasn't touched on much in the fanfiction sphere. There aren't many Ena/Rajaion fics on here or on fanfiction.net, so I decided to do my own piece on them.

Mount Fiorosa was a mountain located on the eastern fringes of Goldoa. Standing at approximately 6,500 metres, it was statistically regarded as the highest mountain not just in Goldoa, but in the whole continent of Tellius. It was the tallest of the Ertz Mountains, a mountain range of jagged, knife-like peaks which stretched from southern Crimea to the Myron Plains in central Goldoa.

On the western side of that mountain, at the base of it, there existed a small area of lowland known as the Elpis Basin, sheltered by the towering massif above. Given Goldoa's climate with its heat and humidity most of the year during the dry season and torrential rains during the wet season, the land was savannah-like, its end unofficially marked around Castle Elpis where the Goldoan desert began. Various people living here came here regularly to hunt for prey, although some came to make camp and prepare to climb the rough, arduous hike that was Mount Fiorosa. While the dragons could fly to the top with their powerful wings, many who climbed the mountain saw it as a challenge to climb it without using their laguz forms.

For Ena, though, this was a place where many fond memories were made. These were the plains where she had played with her grandfather and her friends when she was still a child. This was where she had been tutored how to hunt, as well as how to fight.

And right now, it was a place through which she was strolling at night with her fiancé, Prince Rajaion, during a visit from him. The timing couldn’t be better; the clouds earlier that day had parted by evening, which meant the sky now showed an array of constellations and the moon shone brightly upon the plain.

“You know…I had forgotten how beautiful this place looked when the weather was like this,” Rajaion commented, as the couple walked over a small knoll. “Sorry it’s been so long since my last visit.”

“You don’t need to apologise, my love,” Ena replied. “I am aware how important royal duties are. I do not mind, as long as you are in good health. …So is it true that His Majesty recently tasked you with getting rid of a group of bandits?”

“Yes,” answered the dragon prince. Despite its isolation, Goldoa wasn’t an entirely peaceful country, and dragon laguz weren’t an entirely united race. Sometimes, internal conflicts such as banditry and pillaging happened, and although they weren’t common, they caused uneasiness and worry among the populace when they did. However, King Dheginsea and the Goldoan lords were always quick to put them down. “Father said it would be a great opportunity for me to engage in a proper combat situation rather than the sparring sessions I do with Gareth.”

“...Were you hurt?” Ena asked, a look of concern crossing her face.

“No, not at all. Those brigands were more bark than bite. In the end, I only had a few nicks and bruises by the end of it,” elaborated Rajaion.

“As expected of you, my love,” Ena smiled. “Your formidable strength is but one of your strongest assets. With it factored in with your tactical mind and leadership skills…I cannot say how lucky I am to be in the position I am now, to have such a man be my fiancé.

“...Ditto,” Rajaion replied, breaking out a smile as well. “Of all Goldoan women, there are few as striking and unique as you, Ena. It’s not every day you see a dragon with pink scales. When I look back, I think it was that unique distinction that drew me to you. We might be a united race, but it’s rather uncommon to see a mixed-race dragon in our society. And then there was your attitude. Not ostentatious like other potential suitors, but honest and unflattering towards me."

“...It was just what Grandfather had taught me,” the red dragon said. “Honesty will always win over flattery. Oh, but I still remember how nervous I was with you. I genuinely thought my heart would burst out of my chest in fear of committing a faux pas.”

“But you didn’t,” reminisced Rajaion, remembering his first meeting with his fiancée. “You were graceful and elegant. Along with your humbleness and modesty, as well as your unique distinctions…that’s why I chose you to be my mate. And no lady since has caught my eye as much as you have.” He gave her a kiss.

“Oh, Rajaion…you needn’t compliment me as you have,” Ena replied shyly.

“But I can compliment you, can’t I? And I mean every word of what I say,” countered the heir of Goldoa. “You are beautiful, Ena, and I cannot wait for the day when I can finally call you my wife.”

“And I cannot wait for the day when I can call you my husband,” Ena added. “And…eventually, my king.”

“Hey now, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Rajaion backpedaled. “Father still has many more years as king before he’ll retire. In fact…" The dragon prince looked around him before continuing. "Don’t tell this to anyone just yet, but…he actually told me after the bandit skirmish that he planned to instate me as king before his death, at latest. He never said when, but…somehow I have this idea that it’ll be sooner than expected.”

“What makes you think that?” asked his fiancée, curious. “His Majesty is in good health at the moment.”

“No, no, no, I don’t mean that, Ena,” Rajaion corrected. “I meant that he might suddenly drop the responsibility of king on me before I feel ready, and then I’ll be up that creek without a paddle. Father is a good judge of a character and all, but you know what he’s like. Once he’s made a choice, he’ll almost never back down from it. And if I am instated as king too early…then that’ll be that, and the whole of the kingdom may suffer if I turn out to be a weak king.”

“Is that what you’re worried about? Becoming king too soon?” Ena noted. “You will be fine, Rajaion. His Majesty most likely still has many more decades as king, and there will be plenty of time to learn about the duties of kingship between now and your likely instatement. And I know that you will make a worthy king when that time comes,” she finished.

“Still…” Rajaion continued. “There’s a big difference between learning about something and actually doing it. And being king of Goldoa is _not_ a duty I want to fail in.”

“I understand your fears, my love,” Ena sympathised. “But…how about we put that to the side for now and do other things to take your mind off such thoughts? What’s say we stargaze?” She sat down on the grass, and gestured for the dragon prince to sit down next to her.

“...You’re right, Ena,” responded Rajaion, breaking out a smile again. “I’ll gaze at the stars with you.” He sat down alongside the red dragon, gave her a kiss and lay back on the grass with her. “...Wow. You can really see a lot tonight, can’t you?”

“Indeed,” Ena concurred. “...That collection of stars there looks a bit like Puliar’s Fang, doesn’t it?” she said, pointing to a series of stars that looked like the outline of a tiger laguz’s fang.

“I think it is,” Rajaion affirmed. “...You know, I do like how they remembered lesser heroes who fought alongside Father, Altina and Soan all those years ago. Instead of being lost to history like most unsung heroes, they’re remembered in the stars by naming constellations in their honour. Mother liked it especially, because that way, when the sky lit up, she could be reminded of the comradeship of all of her old friends back when she fought alongside Father.”

“Your mother…” Ena noted. She knew Rajaion was talking about Queen Karmeis, the former queen of Goldoa, wife of King Dheginsea, and mother of the dragon prince. A black dragon who’d fought against the dark god hundreds of years ago, she was said to have the personality akin to a rose: beautiful and charming, but ready to bear her thorns if threatened or irked. Sadly, she’d died unexpectedly in childbirth after giving birth to Kurthnaga, Rajaion’s younger brother, and her death had been mourned by many in Goldoa due to her legacy as one of Ashera’s warriors and a caring, long-lived queen.

“And Puliar was a tiger, if I recall,” continued Rajaion, making the red dragon snap out of her thoughts about the old dragon queen. “I think he became a Begnion higher-up after the dark god was defeated. …Now, hmmm, what else can we see?”

“I think I spot Fiachra’s Wing,” Ena pointed out, pointing to a more jagged, wing-looking collection of stars.

“A raven,” Rajaion said, thinking back to days of old, when his mother would tell him of these old warriors in bedtime stories to him when he was younger. “Oh, and there’s Gurion’s Mane. He was a lion. Now, what else is there…?”

The couple continued in this fashion for a good while longer, listing the stars of the sky and reminiscing on those tales of yore passed down through the centuries. Both Ena and Rajaion loved it, and there was no doubt among them that they would gladly spend the whole night and even past dawn the next day indulging in such moments with one another if they could.

Eventually, though, tiredness began to encroach upon the dragons, and a yawn escaped from Ena's lips.

"...You tired?" Rajaion asked.

"...I am," admitted the red dragon. "That's a shame…I wish I could spend more time out here with you," she expressed disappointedly.

“Well…” the prince began, trying to think of a way to lift Ena’s spirits. Then an idea came to him. “How about we sleep here tonight?”

“Here?” Ena asked, gesturing to the grass around them.

“Yes. After all, I can’t think of a better way to end this day,” Rajaion replied. “Sleeping next to the woman I love. If we’d done that back at the castle, there would definitely be a lot of difficult questions to answer. Out here, though, we can at least say, not untruthfully, that we fell asleep together while gazing at the stars.”

“That…does sound appealing,” said Ena, warming to her fiancé’s plan. “I would like to be at your side for tonight, my love.”

“Then it’s settled,” the black dragon said, untying his cape and laying on the grass as a sort of surface for his mate-to-be to lie on.

“Thank you,” Ena said happily, lying down on the garment. “Mmmm…your scent is strong on this. I’ll definitely sleep soundly with your scent so close to me.”

“I do hope so,” Rajaion responded. “Let’s get some sleep. Sweet dreams, my love.”

“...Sweet dreams to you too, Rajaion.”

The dragon prince waited patiently for Ena to fall asleep. Eventually, the sound of soft breathing could be heard from the red dragon, as she comfortably slept on her back with a content smile. Rajaion couldn’t help but do the same. He would do anything if it meant he could see such contentment from her in future, he thought to himself.

At this point, the black dragon would’ve normally closed his eyes and joined the love of his life in sleep. But over the last few minutes, an interesting idea had formulated in his head, one that he wanted to try. He looked around him at the plain and grinned. The area Ena had chosen to stargaze in was flat with no obtrusive rise in the terrain, and there were only a few trees around. Not to mention, the plains were almost silent,and the only other person in the vicinity was the slumbering red dragon next to him who he was proud to call his fiancée. _I wonder how Ena would feel about what I’m about to do next?_ Rajaion pondered to himself.

Slowly, and quietly, he moved next to her, and carefully put his arms at her side. Then, he silently picked her up and put her on his front. _Did I wake her?_ Rajaion wondered. But other than a sleepy sigh of contentment, it was clear Ena was still asleep. The dragon prince breathed his own sigh - a relieved one.

_Keep sleeping, Ena. I’ll have a surprise for you when you wake up. I hope you’ll like it._

* * *

Ena’s slumber had been one of the most sound sleeps she had ever had. Rajaion’s cape had been a comfortable, silky smooth surface to rest on, and combined with the usual evening tiredness, she had fallen asleep in a matter of minutes. The red dragon had always been a sound sleeper, rarely being plagued by nightmares or waking up in the middle of the night, and always waking at a timely hour early in the morning. Last night’s sleep had been no different.

…Apart from one peculiar difference.

At one point during her sleep, in Ena’s imagination, it had felt like someone had lit a fire next to her. But it didn’t feel like a damaging, hurtful fire; rather, it felt like a fire of comfort and solace. And as a result, the dragon laguz had slept even more peacefully than normal.

But eventually, the crack of dawn came, and like every other day, Ena woke up from her sleep. Looking up at the sky, she could still see some stars, but the first rays of sunlight were spreading across the sky. It was dawn, and birds singing the dawn chorus could be heard. The breeze was also a pleasant one, and it seemed like it would be another beautiful day.

And yet, something was off. Ena couldn’t quite put her finger on it as she was now, but something wasn’t as it usually was.

Then she realised something.

She wasn’t lying on the grass. She still felt the silky smoothness of Rajaion’s cape under her, but she didn’t feel the blades of grass underneath the garment. Rather, she felt a surface harder and tougher than grass that was surprisingly still comfortable all the same. 

And speaking of her mate-to-be, for whatever reason, his scent seemed to be permeating the air all around her. As well as that, Ena realised, without turning over to see, what the surface below her felt like instead of grass.

It felt like scales. 

Scales like those on some kind of reptile. 

_W-Wait a minute…Does that mean what I think it means?_

The red dragon turned to her side and what she saw made her eyes widen like saucers in shock.

She saw reptilian scales. Specifically, they were scales that were big enough to belong to a dragon laguz. Scales not unlike her own. But what struck Ena the most was…

…they were an ebony colour, like the scales of a black dragon.

From this alone, the truth could not be more clear.

Those scales belonged to Rajaion, and Ena had been sleeping on Rajaion's dragon form.

 _B-But…how?_ Ena’s head pooled with questions. _Did Rajaion do this on purpose? But if he did, then why? I don't understand…What reason would he have for transforming and putting me on his chest?_ the red dragon wondered, still slightly nonplussed at her groom-to-be’s move. _Was it…a loving gesture? Hmm…it’s not a malignant one, at least. My love wouldn’t do something like that._

Ena lay there, trying to wrap her head around this odd situation she was in. As she did so, she noticed the rises and falls occurring in Rajaion's chest due to him breathing in and out. It was more rested than usual, given the black dragon was currently asleep right now. Ena could also hear his heart beating in his chest. It thumped slowly as well, not only because of Rajaion’s slumber, but because of the large size of the dragon prince’s laguz form. Ena knew a fair amount about biology and nature, and a general rule of thumb was that the larger the animal, the slower the heart beated within them, and vice versa. 

And right now, as she listened to Rajaion’s heart slowly beating away, she couldn’t help but smile. It was a comforting feeling, listening to her lover’s heartbeat. His body was also quite warm, mainly due to the fire dragons naturally produced to breathe at their enemies. But Ena noted just how comfortable it felt, like being next to a roaring fire back home. _Small wonder I slept so well,_ _s_ he thought to herself.

It was also comforting in that she was next to someone so big and powerful who would protect her in an instant. Rajaion had told Ena in the past that he would protect her from any enemy, no matter who they were. And with the might of a black dragon at his side, Ena knew that he would be able to keep his word if such a situation came to pass.

It was fascinating too, watching a being as gargantuan as a black dragon sleeping, something most unusual in Goldoa. Given the size of the dragon laguz, no Goldoan made a habit of sleeping in their laguz form like some members of the other laguz tribes. It was therefore rare to see an instance like this.

Ena was also unused to being this close to Rajaion’s dragon form. She had rode on his back in the past, but he had never really remained in his laguz form in cases like this, often switching back to his regular form not long after landing. She had never woken up on his chest before, nor had she even laid down on it once before. But as she looked upon her future mate, a thought ran through her head.

_He’s majestic._

Black dragons were the least populous of the dragon tribes that lived in Goldoa, but they were the most powerful and grandiose of all the dragons. Biologically, their laguz forms grew bigger and stronger than any other laguz tribe, and as a result, many leadership positions within Goldoa went to the black dragons for their power and strength over the other dragon tribes. 

_And Rajaion shows that grandeur perfectly_ , Ena thought to herself as she assessed him and his incredible proportions. His body was colossal, as tall as a tower. His black and red wings, which lay down flat on the ground, covered a considerable amount of land under their wide span. Each claw on his hand was like that of a broadsword, in both size and sharpness. His tail was very long and very thick near its base, where it was almost like a tree trunk in thickness. His feet would be big enough to make quick work of any structure underfoot. Looking over at them, Ena could see a tree uprooted, presumably by Rajaion's left foot as he grew into his immense dragon form. _How strong of him, to knock over a tree like it's nothing_ , she thought in admiration of her lover's strength. 

A noise from behind the red dragon turned her attention away from the uprooted tree. Looking behind her, she noticed that Rajaion was beginning to wake up. A slight growl emanated from the dragon’s throat, and slowly, the prince’s eyes opened and he let out a yawn. Then he looked down at his fiancée.

“Good morning, Ena,” he greeted. His voice was slightly rougher, given his transformation, and a lot louder, given his size. But it was definitely still the voice of Rajaion, first prince of Goldoa.

“And good morning to you too, Rajaion,” Ena returned. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, very well,” answered the dragon prince. “Say…You like the little surprise I gave you?”

“Surprise?” Ena repeated, at first unsure of what he meant. Then, it occurred to her exactly what he was talking about. “You mean this was your surprise?” she said in bewilderment, gesturing to her fiancé’s dragon form.

“It sure was,” replied Rajaion, and Ena noticed the slight hint of pride in his voice. 

“...But why?”

“Why? ...No reason, really. The idea just came to me after you fell asleep,” Rajaion elaborated. “What if you went to sleep on my chest, warmed by the fires within me? So I put you on me and then transformed. What I want to know is…how did you sleep?”

“...Like a log,” Ena said in response, while failing to suppress her smile. _So it was a loving gesture, then._ “I slept even better than normal. Honestly, it felt like being next to a warm, cosy fire. It was one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for such an opportunity, Rajaion.”

“Oh, it was no problem,” the black dragon replied. “I was just lucky we were in an area where I could transform without much problem. If it had been in a heavily forested area, that wouldn’t have ended too greatly. Fallen trees don’t exactly make a comfortable surface to sleep on,” he lightly jested.

“You did knock over a tree, though,” Ena mentioned, indicating to where the tree was uprooted. 

“Oh, did I?” Rajaion looked over to where the red dragon pointed to. “...Oh. …Well, this is awkward. I apologise for that.”

“You don’t have to apologise to me,” replied Ena. “But maybe in future, we should look for areas that are big enough for your dragon form to transform in where you won’t knock things over.”

“Duly noted,” Rajaion replied. “...In future, you say? So…Ena, you want to do this again in future?”

“Of course!” Ena answered enthusiastically. “I would love to be able to sleep on your warm dragon body again. Last night was sublime, being warmed by the fire within you. It’s oddly paradoxical, that the same fire that you use to burn your enemies to a crisp is the same comforting fire that kept me warm and snug during the night. And also, your laguz form is awe-inspiring and epic, and I cannot admire its magnificence enough. Therefore, if it’s alright with you…may we do this again in future? Please?”

“...You know, I’d hoped you’d have liked my little surprise, but I didn’t think you’d like it this much,” replied Rajaion, rather bemused by his bride-to-be’s enthusiasm over this. “Yeah, I’d love to do this again. And…maybe we could do it the other way around. Me sleeping on your belly. I think I’d like that very much.”

“As would I!” Ena said, elated by Rajaion’s idea. Then, another thought came to her that made her blush. “And when we have children someday…m-maybe we can give them that same luxury.”

“Oh, you really are conjuring up rosy images right now, Ena,” Rajaion remarked, unable to hold back a mirthful laugh. It was a sight to see, for a dignified and imposing figure like a black dragon, much less the crown prince of Goldoa, to be laughing merrily and being completely unstoic, especially given the dragon’s father. Ena did recall remarks from various people that it was hard to believe that the stern old King Dheginsea and the youthful, free-spirited Prince Rajaion were father and son.

“But it’s a lovely image, isn’t it?” Ena reasoned.

“It is,” Rajaion replied. “And it’s something I would love to try out when those days arrive.” Then, another thought struck him. ”We could also stargaze like this, with you on my chest. I would love to give that a try as well. Maybe in a few months’ time, when you’ve officially become my loving mate.”

“...Me too. …It’s hard to believe we’ve come this far in our relationship,” reminisced the red dragon. “To think we’re only a few months away from officially marrying one another…I cannot wait for that day.”

“And neither can I,” the dragon prince replied. He then looked up at the sky, where dawn was ending and the blue sky of the morning was phasing out the last of the night. “...I think it’s time we headed back to Castle Elpis. As blissful as this moment is, there are duties that need to be done, and if we stay out here longer, everyone else will think we’re layabouts or idlers or whatever name they call us behind our backs.” Given Rajaion’s independent nature, there were inevitably those, particularly people close to the king, who felt he wasn’t fulfilling his duties as prince, and the black dragon was fully aware of the remarks that were made about him on the sly when they thought he wasn’t listening.

“...Indeed,” Ena murmured, disappointed. She wanted to spend more time out here with her beloved, and didn’t want to be reminded of her daily obligations.

“Don’t worry, Ena,” Rajaion reassured. “We’ll definitely get to do this again in future, like we said.”

“...We will. And I shall look forward to when we can do this again,” Ena said. “...Oh, but before we leave, can we do one more thing? May you move me to your head?”

“...Okay,” Rajaion obeyed, bringing his hand to Ena. She climbed onto it, and he then sat up, and levered his hand up to his face. “...Why did you ask to be - “

Rajaion cut himself off as he watched Ena lean forward and kiss him on the snout. He felt her warm lips touch him and move away. The gesture was touching, and the prince felt that he would be blushing were he in his beorc form.

“Now then. Shall we be off?” requested Ena, looking into her betrothed’s eyes lovingly. Although Rajaion’s eyes in his laguz form were more slitted and predatorial, they were still the eyes of Rajaion, and in this tender moment, he too gave her a look of love.

“Yes, we shall depart,” he announced, still rather moved by the kiss the red dragon gave him. He moved Ena to his shoulder and craned his neck so that she could sit comfortably. Once he felt her find a suitable position, he began to flap his mighty wings. “Hold on tight, Ena. And…away we go!”

Rajaion’s giant body lifted into the air, and he began to fly in a southwesterly direction, towards Castle Elpis. As he did so, he thought back to the exchange that just happened. _Yes,_ he thought. _That would be heavenly, to spend evenings with Ena stargazing with her resting on me, and sometimes me resting on her. And to hell with anyone who demands I should act otherwise._

 _Ena…I love you so much,_ Rajaion thought to himself, thinking of his loving fiancée. _I’ll gladly spend eternity with you, gazing at the stars like we were. May our love last ‘till death do us part._

**Author's Note:**

> Edit(02/10/2020) : Changed the spaces between the paragraphs to be smaller, akin to what I've seen on other fanfics. I will also change my other works to fit this format.


End file.
